Motion picture, television and video content are often times rated with a parental control rating that is usually set by a rating authority based on pre-defined criteria. For example, a cartoon could be rated for G (general pubic) or a horror movie would be rated R (Restricted) due to horror and explicit content. However, the underlying potential issue is that these rating systems are based on a pre-defined one size fits all criteria which may or may not be appropriate based on cultural, religious or political background etc. Therefore, if a parent has set a general rule to allow PG-13 content in the home then there is still a potential that children will be exposed to content that may be deem as inappropriate by the parent.
In today's ever changing world of content delivery, content can also arrive from various sources. This makes parental control difficult because there is no method to keep track of the nature of the content. Content can be sourced from a variety of content providers including film studios, content aggregators like HBO, and even from individual users streamed over the Internet etc. This situation is exacerbated as more and more over the top user generated content finds its way into the home. This kind of content usually has not been properly rated, if rated at all.
Currently, content providers use a policy decision point to assign a rating code to a particular piece of content. The policy enforcement point (PEP) in a cable set-top box is typically the CableCARD and/or user interface/program guide. The PEP examines the rating information contained in the program stream and compares it to the rating threshold contained in the general policy as set by the parent.
However, there is a need for a method and system for allowing parental controls and/or ratings to be modified or added to the content at a decision point, such as in the consumer's home.